As companies gain more experience of telemarketing there is a growing trend towards its greater integration into the marketing mix.

Transavia Airlines: A year after being granted its first scheduled route, between Gatwick and Amsterdam, Transavia Airlines was operating at well below break-even capacity. In a make or break move, the Dutch firm implemented a customer loyalty programme in 1988.

Supported by a media launch, telemarketing mail and sales visits were used in an on-going drive to develop a personal relationship with individual business-class travellers. Within three months ticket sales had increased by 90%, resulting in one of two competitors abandoning the route. By 1990 Transavia held 54% of the market. Key to this success was the ongoing development of the marketing database used to plan and drive the personalised communications strategy.

Comet: When satellite TV companies BSB and Sky announced their merger in November 1990, it left BSB users worried about the redundancy of their equipment. Electrical retailer Comet immediately suspended sales of the redundant BSB equipment and, within seven days, opened an 0800 helpline to provide customers and other interested consumers with the most up-to-date information available on the situation. Within 11 days a total of 1964 calls were received.

By acting quickly, Comet was able to demonstrate a caring approach not only to its own customers but to all interested consumers. This included competitors' customers, with whom Comet was able to start a dialogue. …

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